News: 'Starmer on ropes' and a 'nightmare for Labour' after Green win in Gorton and Denton

The by-election in Gorton and Denton has produced front‑page shock and immediate political fallout: the Greens have taken the seat, piling pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to shift left or face a leadership battle. This news matters because ministers are said to believe it is now "inevitable" that Starmer will not lead Labour into the election, even as he insists he will not step down and will continue to fight "for as long as I've got breath in my body. "

News front pages: 'Starmer on ropes' and show of panic

National front pages used stark language after the Gorton and Denton result, running headlines such as "Starmer on ropes" and calling the outcome a "nightmare for Labour. " One lead line described Labour's loss as a "crushing by-election defeat, " while ministers are said to believe it is now "inevitable" that Sir Keir will not lead the party into the election. At the same time, other front pages urged police to investigate what they described as "clear evidence" of voter fraud and warned Britain is "sleepwalking into sectarian politics. "

Gorton and Denton result: Greens on 40%, Reform 28%, Labour 25%

The count produced a decisive distribution of votes: the Greens won 40% of the vote, Reform finished second on 28% and Labour trailed third on 25%. For the Greens this was the first by‑election victory in their history, and it came in a seat the party had not previously targeted. The scene around the count included accusations from Reform's campaign that the Greens had cheated in Gorton and Denton.

Hannah Spencer: a plumber and plasterer turned MP

Hannah Spencer, the new Greens MP for Gorton and Denton, spoke in a low‑key victory address that drew on her working‑class roots. She has worked as a plumber and recently qualified as a plasterer; commentators noted her down‑to‑earth tone and quips about Westminster — that the toilets are in a shocking state and the buildings are falling to pieces. Spencer said she was proud to be a working‑class woman from the constituency, spoke of how hard the cost of living crisis has been and of neighbours who look out for one another, and argued multiculturalism had defeated the toxic politics of the right. She will be sworn in on Monday, and those close to the campaign said the speech may have been written in little more than 24 hours.

Reform reaction: Matt Goodwin rages and levels charges

Reform's candidate, Matt Goodwin, reacted angrily to the result. He looked furious at the count, said he had come to believe it was his divine right to win and was reported making the remark "what Nigel Farage wants, Nige gets. " Goodwin accused the Greens of sectarianism and cheating. Past comments attributed to him include claims that anyone who was black or brown was not properly British and a suggestion that white girls should leave school and have babies rather than get jobs. From a distance Nigel Farage made a similar complaint but was said to have kept his distance from Goodwin's failure; those around Reform suggested Goodwin would be tucked away in the deep freeze for a time.

Labour pressure and internal warnings, and other wider concerns

Within Labour, voices urging a shift to the left intensified. One headline summed that Sir Keir's political strategy had been "shattered, " and reports of calls inside the party urged a change of direction or resignation. A prominent figure in the party was described as "leading a new threat" to the prime minister and was labeled a "leadership rival, " openly calling on colleagues to "wake up" and to "be braver, " with MPs warning "it's terminal. " Elsewhere on the front pages, commentators noted proposals that a senior Labour MP will urge a crackdown on migration next week, and one report on the same set of pages said Britain had closed its embassy in Iran. Another front‑page item flagged that the US, the UK and other countries had ordered some citizens and diplomats to leave the Middle East over fears "a Trump administration attack on Iran could spiral into a regional conflict. "

Other front‑page coverage: vandalism, a headline pun and a prisoner story

Several high‑profile non‑poll items also featured prominently. A vandalised statue of Winston Churchill appeared beside a headline reading "How dare you!" with an underlined subheading citing arrests after the defacement of a figure described as "a British hero who helped save our freedoms. " A large headline played on the new MP's trade background with the pun "Plaster la vista" and a subhead read "Labour throws in trowel as Greens win. " Separately, a front page focused on the condition of child killer Ian Huntley, headlined "He's battered beyond recognition, " and noted that his mum had visited him in hospital.

Questions about voters and coverage: why Gorton & Denton backed the Greens

Comment pieces and follow‑up coverage asked why Gorton & Denton voters backed the Green Party, interrogating the local dynamics that produced the result and the national implications for Labour, Reform and the broader political landscape.